What should trigger a review before the planned date?
A planned date is not a reason to ignore changes between reviews. Consider whether the assessment still reflects the premises after alterations, changes in use or changes in who lives there. A fire or the completion of significant works called for by the assessment can also trigger a review.
When reporting a change, describe what has happened and when, rather than asking only whether the assessment has expired. The important question is whether the existing findings remain valid. Give the Fire Risk Assessor the previous report and the information needed to understand the change.
- Building work or alterations.
- A change in building use, occupancy or who lives there.
- A change in the evacuation strategy.
- A fire.
- Completion of significant works identified in the assessment.
- New information about the building, such as a fire risk appraisal of external walls or a fire door or fire stopping survey, that casts doubt on the findings.
- A change in the legislation or guidance that applies to the building.
- Any other reason to suspect the assessment is no longer valid.
How is a review different from a new assessment?
A review is not necessarily a full new assessment. It considers whether the existing assessment remains valid in light of current circumstances and changes. A new assessment is a fresh assessment rather than a review of the existing report. The necessary scope should be discussed against the building and available evidence. Either can be carried out by the Responsible Person if competent, or by a Fire Risk Assessor they appoint.
Ask the Fire Risk Assessor to explain what is being proposed. A request described simply as a renewal can hide the difference between checking an existing assessment and undertaking a new one. Share previous actions, completed works and changed arrangements so the proposed work has a clear starting point.
What does the purpose-built flats guide suggest?
The guide "Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats" was produced by the Local Government Association in 2011 and is published by the Home Office while a revised version is prepared. Its intervals are general guidance for purpose-built blocks of flats only. They are not fixed legal intervals and should not be applied to offices, hotels or other premises as a universal schedule. Its "modern" block meant one built within the 20 years before 2011.
| Block described by the guide | General review guidance | General new-assessment guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Low-risk, modern, low-rise: no more than three storeys above ground and, when the guide was written in 2011, built within the previous 20 years. | Every two years might be sufficient. | Every four years. |
| Higher-risk blocks, including older blocks and blocks of more than three storeys. | Annual review. | Every three years. |
| Extreme cases involving the highest-risk premises. | Consider the particular assessment and circumstances. | Every year. |
How should the building’s own review date be used?
In practice, many Responsible Persons review annually and commission a new assessment every few years or after a significant change, and PAS 79-1:2020 and BS 9792:2025, the codes of practice the assessment follows, record a suggested review date in the report. That is convention and good practice, not a legal interval; the building’s own risk profile and findings decide.
The assessment should set the date by which it is reviewed. Use that date to plan contact and access, while remaining alert to earlier triggers. The general flats guidance does not replace consideration of the building’s own risk profile or the findings already identified in its report.
For a portfolio, keep the dates identifiable by building. A shared management arrangement does not mean every assessment has the same review needs. When arranging several reviews together, identify which buildings have changed and which have completed significant actions since their last assessment.
What should be recorded when a review happens?
Reviews must be recorded: since 1 October 2023 the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) has required every Responsible Person to record the assessment as soon as practicable after it is made or reviewed. Keep the review alongside the existing assessment so it is clear which report has been considered. As a practical record-keeping approach, identify the review date, the changes considered and the resulting decisions about the assessment or further work. Do not rely on an unrecorded conversation as the only account of the review.
Provide evidence of completed significant works and current management arrangements where relevant. Recording that an action has been completed is useful information for the review, but should not be treated as proof that all other findings have ceased to matter. Keep outstanding actions visible to the Responsible Person.
Do other checking schedules replace assessment reviews?
No. Specific inspection duties and the review of the overall assessment serve different purposes. For example, the England-specific fire door checks in residential buildings over 11 metres do not create a general assessment review timetable. Likewise, in England the person-centred fire risk assessments, evacuation statements and building emergency evacuation plans required in some residential buildings under the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 have their own review cycle of at least every 12 months, separate from the building assessment. Keep the reason for each activity clear when planning visits and records. Different legislation applies in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and our assessments work to it.
This is general information, not legal advice. The Responsible Person should take advice on their own situation.